


It's Time to Begin

by 3am_Reading



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Artists, Everyone has the same powers but not fae, F/M, Feyre is magical?, Forces of Nature Curse Feyre's Graduating Class, High School Reunion, High School Reunion Gone Wrong, King of Hybern is Not Human, Magic AU?, Natural Order, Odd Forces of Nature, School Reunion, Time to defeat the big bad, gallery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-23 19:04:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17085974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/3am_Reading/pseuds/3am_Reading
Summary: Feyre never paid any attention in any class except art. Now, she owns an Art Studio/Gallery called "Sun and Stars" and doesn't even use her high school level art classes. When the principle of her old high school reaches out and says they want to hold the 5 year high school reunion at her studio, who is she to say no? When a strange man causes her to crash her car and somebody called "The Mother" tells the "High Lords" (a group of kids from school), Mor, and Feyre that nature is unbalanced and something must be done, Feyre realizes there might be more to life after school, and that bringing up past memories might not be as bad as expected.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading this! If anyone is interested in possibly being a beta, hit me up in the comments or on Tumblr (username is the same, just a dash not an underscore). I'm a slow updater but finals are finished so I thought why not!

After a few hours of waiting for the snow to stop, or at least for a better view of the sky, she nodded off to the sound of the crackling fire and wind blowing from outside.

She later woke up to a constant buzzing from her phone. Sitting up, she patted around on the sofa she was currently on. She scrambled to answer her phone.

“Hello?” she asked, voice still thick and groggy from sleep.

“Fey? Fey, is that you? You have 4 hours to get ready for the gallery, give me your address and I’ll come pick you up. You have a dress right? I don’t think we have time for shopping!”

“Whoa, Mor, slow down. We have plenty of time, they pushed the opening until 8, I’ve got two extra hours,” Feyre said, looking at the clock and seeing it read 2:00 pm.

“So, I have 6 hours until the opening?” Mor, Feyre’s best friend from grade school asked. 

Mor and Feyre had met in art class in the 4th grade. Mor was having a hard time drawing a tree, and Feyre (who was-and still is-and art prodigy at the time) had helped her get the branches just right, the straight lines straight-er, and the leaves to  _ not _ look like disfigured hands. From then on, everybody in school new them as Feyre and the Redhead. 

They had tried to get a band together in 8th grade using that name, but with only two people who were better at making shadows and light on paper, then into a song, it didn’t last long. Though, the name stuck. Now, all the paintings and sketches and sculptures the two make, it’s always signed with “Fey and the Redhead”. 

Mor, doesn’t actually have red hair though, she dyed it during winter break of 4th grade. The hair was only there for the short two week break, but news had gotten around and she was now labeled as a redhead. She never re-dyed it again though. 

Feyre’s one goal in life was to open a gallery to show off everybody’s art. Her dream had finally come true and with Mor as manager and owner of the building they bought and Feyre as curator and a painter they were able to open Suns and Stars, a studio for artists and a gallery for those interested in art or showcasing. 

They had decided that every month on a Sunday night they would hold the gallery. Feyre would look at up and coming artists and their work, and put them in the gallery. Just to get them started in the world. The other 29 days of the month would be teaching and selling works of art. 

Their ultimate goal was to give everybody a chance of doing something in the artistic world. Now, they had hit a few bumps along the road, but eventually, they did it. And today, was the first gallery. They had 10 different artist being showcased, from sculptures to abstract paintings. Well, 11 if you counted Fey and the Redhead, though nobody knew who the anonymous artists were. Some people assumed Feyre was involved, but nobody had any ideas on “and the Redhead”, as Feyre never had a redhead as a friend, as far as her customers knew. 

Today was even more stressful, because the 5 year highschool reunion was also happening at her gallery. 

* * *

 

Feyre hadn’t seen most of her friends since she was a struggling high school student that didn’t pay enough attention in trig, and too much in art. Feyre had always thought that nothing but her portfolio mattered, but later on college applications she realized that she was dead wrong. 

Feyre walked over to the kitchen and started the coffee pot, because lord knows that without proper caffeination, she was absolutely useless. And, not in the sense that she would occasionally get up off the sofa, oh no. You would be lucky to see her open a curtain, or even get out of bed. That was probably the reason she struggled so much in high school. 

Feyre was not a morning person. Period. Like, at all. On the weekends, you would be grateful to see her before one. All her classes in college started after one-thirty.  But, now with owning her own gallery, she learned to like coffee, and it soon became her life force. 

People know that in order to get her out of bed that she would need  persuasion that consisted of espresso, espresso, and a large cup of espresso. 

She got her coffee, collected her keys wallet and everything else she might need tonight, and got in her car and went back to her apartment to get ready for the evening and have her “stress-out”, which is what More called her freak outs before a gallery.

Feyre had been staying in her cabin in Aspen, and had an apartment in Denver, which was at least a 2 ½ hour drive, so she would get there closer to 5, giving her 2 hours, to be at her gallery by 7:30 to finish setting up for the long night ahead of her. Joy.

To put this into perspective, Feyre had two friends. Mor and Miss Teddy. Miss Teddy was her tabby cat from when she was about 10 to her high school graduation. So, in reality Feyre is what you would call “The Loner with The Perky Friend”. Feyre was completely fine with that. Her mother always taught her that fewer friends that are  _ really _ your friend are  _ so _ much better than more who  _ really _ aren’t. 

But, now she was going to see who was successful and who was washing the successful one’s cars. 

She understood something now though. She understood that high school didn’t matter. At all. She hasn’t used anything from her core classes. The only one that did matter was art, and even then, she hadn’t used something from the class for 8 months. Feyre assumed that if she made it this far, that nothing else was going to be helpful. 

As she was driving, she realized that the 2 feet of snow currently on the ground did have an ethereal beauty to it. It was so white and gleaming. Untouched. It was almost as if there could be nothing wrong if you just continued to stare at the snow. It was blinding, the shine of the sun on the fresh white snow. 

So distracted by the snow, she didn’t realize the person run out into the middle of the empty road. Seeing a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye, she turned her head to see a ragged looking man standing and staring directly at her car, not making a motion to move out the way. Feyre swerved and drove into the fresh powder. 

She quickly unbuckled and got out of the car. From what she could see, no damage had been caused, the snow breaking the crash. Running out to the road behind her, she searched for the man she had seen, not even minutes earlier. There was no trace of him. 

Frantically looking around, she saw no movement to indicate where he could have possible gone. Shaking her head, and telling herself it was her imagination, probably caused by staying up so late, she trudged back to her car, to find it completely destroyed.

* * *

 

“Yeah, yeah… Ok. I’m about and hour south of Aspen, Co… Yeah, I have somebody coming to pick me up… Should I wait here? No? Ok… Yeah, you’ll see it. Thanks, so much…” Feyre finished her call with the towing guys. 

She then dialed Mor, telling her that she was stranded and needed a ride if she was gonna make it to the gallery tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

Once Feyre had made it home, not without struggles on Mor not finding her and Feyre being freaked and the storm that hit while the two girls were driving, Feyre sat on her old leather couch and took a deep breath. Her day had been rough, and she had been sorely unprepared. Walking to the kitchen to get a drink, she glanced at the clock and gasped. It was 6:30.

       Rushing to her bedroom, she grabbed the dress she had picked up on her way home with Mor, grabbed her messenger bag, and rushed out the door, calling a cab on her way out. 

       “Hi. Yes, I need a cab at 32nd Street, right next to the crosswalk going north… Mhmm… I’m going to Sun and Star Studio… If they could be here in 10, that’d be great… Yes, of course. Thank you so much.” Feyre finished the call; she was scared that she wouldn’t make it to the gallery, embarrassing herself in front of all her other past classmates. 

It took the cab longer than she wanted for it to get there, but eventually it did. While she was in the car, she started with things simple, like her hair while calling the caterer, telling them that there was a key in the plant next to the door, and to start setting up. That she would email them where the food and drinks could go. While doing her makeup, she was calling the musicians telling them to start getting ready and to help the caterers and waiters should need be. When she was done with what she could do in the back of the cab, she called Mor to go over and let people in at 7:45, should she not be there. Lucky for her, she had put up the art she was showing before she left for the cabin.

      Mor was confused, but when Feyre explained what had gone on, she totally understood and that she had had days like that too. Now, contrary to popular belief, Feyre could multi-task at certain things. Things like sending an email to the past principal of her high school while pinning her hair up to a messy knot on the top of her head. Now, this email said:

_ Dear Principal Weathers, _

_     This is Feyre Archeron emailing you to say that doors will be 15 minutes prior to the art show. Now, it is completely up to the attendants of said art show if they wish to be there to meet with friends and introduce so that they may focus most of their attention to what will be shown. After the show has finished, their will be an auction for select pieces that have yet to be determined. We will most likely make this choice off of the popularity of marks on the paper next to the glass encasings around the art. We do most definitely know that all sculptures will be auctioned off. I ask to you explain the the attendees that should they wish to partake in any auction, whether be painting, sketches, or sculptures, that they make sure to check in to pick up their pre assigned numbers.  _

_     On a side note, artists of the art being shown tonight will be in attendance, so there will be people they aren’t familiar with. It is not a closed event, as I will never do that, so please warn the Prythian Prep students that there will be other people that have nothing to do with the reunion and wish to simply attend an art show.  _

_ I thank you much for your patience and will see you shortly. Should I not be at the show, I have a close friend who will be there to help with any confusions. _

 

_ Sincerely, _

_ Feyre Archeron _

_ Artist and Owner of Sun _

_ And Star Studio _

* * *

“Feyre! You made it!” said Lucien, a friend of Feyre, or at least he had been while she was dating his friend, Tamlin. Tamlin had been Feyre’s significant other for her senior year, they had never really specified what they were until they had broken up. A break up that, according to Mor who was on the Facebook page for the alumni, was still talked about to this day.

* * *

_ “Feyre please! Let’s just talk about this!” Tamlin had come rushing into the parking lot after reading the note left to him. _

_ “There isn’t that much to talk about Tamlin, I saw you with Ianthe during the party!” She shouted back, red with anger. Anger, and embarrassment. Anger because of what she had learned, how harshly she had been betrayed by her significant other and the girl who she had though she was friends with. Embarrassment for those reasons as well, but more from crying in front of others. Crying showed weakness, somebody that was as poor as Feyre could never show, otherwise the lions would get her. _

_ “Feyre that’s not what I want to talk about! That doesn’t matter to me, it never did!!”  _

_ “What do you mean it doesn’t matter Tam?! You cheated on me with a close friend, and now you say it doesn’t matter?! What kind of human says that?” _

_ “Yes I cheated, but Feyre! Not going to college? I don’t understand why you refuse to go?” Tamling stated, shocking Feyre and everybody watching the fight. _

_ “College?! COLLEGE?! You want to talk about me not going to college?!” Feyre shrieked, “I hate you! I hate you more than anybody else!” _

_ “Feyre… You don’t mean that.” Tamlin said, his voice quiet. _

_ “No, I quite do. I hate you Tamlin Thorne.” Feyre whispered, tears streaming off her face. She turned to Lucien, silently asking if he’d be joining her as she left. The slight shake of his head was enough. Feyre was alone.  _

* * *

“Lucien! It’s been a while! How’s life? How was college?” Feyre asked, shocked to see Lucien here. If he was here, Tamling wasn’t far behind.

“Decent! I majored in Business Finances. I went to University of Prythian, Spring Court. Where did you go? You kinda disappeared before graduation, even Elain and Nesta had gone.”

“Oh, um, our dad passed right after graduation so we moved Connecticut, but when I finished undergrad at Hyburn I moved back to Colorado. Nesta and Elain still live their. What do you do now?” Feyre was hesitant to tell people that she had finished college, but her degree was useless unless used in art.

“I’m an accountant at Middle Bank. Quite fun in all the suits and stuff. What about you?” 

“Oh, I actually own this gallery. With Mor, you remember her, she’s Rhy’s cousin… I think.”

“Wait, you own this gallery? Is some of the stuff yours?” A voice came out of nowhere. Feyre and Lucien turned around to see who interrupted their conversation, shocked to see that it happened to be Tamlin Thorne. 

“Yeah, I do. My works are labelled as Fey and the Redhead, none are for sale though,” Feyre said proudly. Tamlin had once said that no one ever made a living off of being an artist. He said that a “starving artist” was a thing for a reason. That’s when she began to fall out of love with the love of her life, supposedly. 

“Wow. I’m… impressed. This is impressive.”

“Thanks, really, thanks.” About two years ago Feyre decided that grudges make you age faster. In all reality, that’s why she agreed to having the reunion at her gallery and studio, so she could remedy all her grudges.

“Feyre, I… I want to - I need to apologize for everything that happened. I was, not the best person and I realized that a while back, and I am now saying that I am deeply and truly sorry for everything that happened.” This was shocking to say the least. The great and proud Tamlin apologizing for being an ass, without actually saying he was an ass.

“Thanks, apology accepted, I guess.” Feyre hesitantly said.

“Oh Tamlin!!” A high pitched shriek came weaving through the crowds, and attached to that shriek was a body. The body of Ianthe Gerome to the exact. The bitch that Tamlin had slept with while still dating Feyre. 

No apology in the world would make Feyre release her grudge to her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all had a happy holiday! Here's a Kwanza present! Oh, I also changed some information in the last chap so read up if needed!

“Feyre! I didn’t realize you would be attending tonight! After all, it is a little.. Posh.” The giant diamond glinting on Ianthe’s finger made Feyre hold her breath,  _ he couldn’t have _ . Ianthe then said, “It was hard enough to get a sitter for tonight but I told Tamlin that Feyre  _ could _ be in attendance and well, here we are!”

“Sitter?” Was all Feyre could ask, not about the rock on her finger or the arm around his waist.

“Well yes, for little George. He’s almost 4 now.” Ianthe replied.

“4? Shouldn’t he be taking care of himself?” Lucien asked.

“Um, excuse me, I have to go talk to other people and get a drink.” She didn’t wait to hear what Ianthe was going to reply with. Something to put Lucien down most likely. She didn’t realize how much seeing these people would impact her. Married? Kids? At 23? What?

Mor came up behind her and said, “Feyre! Come say hi to Rhys and company!”

“Yeah, okay,” she said, walking with Mor over to one of landscape paintings.

“If you look here, you can see the the artist changes brush strokes and uses a different colour to mark the difference between  mountains and sky--” Cassian broke off when someone put a hand on his shoulder, “Mor! Feyre! You came!”

“Yeah Cassian, we came, we’re here. Now, stop talking about the piece of art like you know what’s going on, because you obviously don’t,” Feyre told Cassian. Feyre and Cassian had been friends since 7th grade, then he was adopted by Rhysand, becoming immediate friends with him. In 8th grade, Azriel joined their family. When Rhysand younger, his sister had passed and to make up for that loss, his mother had started fostering and eventually ended up adopting two of those kids. After the adoption, Cassian began to ignore Feyre in lieu of being able to hang out with Rhysand, the 8th grader. 

“Feyre, long time no see! I’m honestly surprised you showed up, considering… everything,” Cassian said.

“You mean the whole, Tamlin and Ianthe having a kid? Yeah, I didn’t know anything about that. I try to stay off the facebook page. And for why I’m here, well I should be considering it’s  _ my _ gallery.” The shocked faces of all those in the near vicinity is why Feyre lived. After all, as far as everyone else knew, Feyre didn’t even finish high school. Disappearing after the “Show Down” (as it had been dubbed). 

Feyre finished high school, online, and had her diploma mailed to her. She then up and moved to Connecticut and attended Hybern University where she met some odd people (one being the namesake of the university). She graduated with a bachelors in Art History and a minor in Business. She had kept in contact with Mor the entire time, unwilling to give up the friend that took Cassian’s place, even if she was Rhysand’s cousin. Feyre was 23 years old and had just opened a studio and gallery, she’d be damned if she let anyone take her pride and joy away from her.

“ _ Your _ gallery? Ha, well then Feyre darling, congratulations.” The worst part, is the other reason Feyre and Tamlin had broken up was that while Tamlin was physically cheating, Feyre was emotionally cheating. She had accidentally fallen in love with Rhysand. All the times she was at Mor’s, Rhysand was there and little by little she had gotten deeper into the emotional mess that was her life. Completely by accident of course. Tamlin had found the sketchbooks filled with him and that was the nail in the coffin of their relationship. All those feelings were gone now, or so she hoped, which was why she agreed to the reunion taking place here. 

“Yes, Rhysand,  _ my _ gallery. Is that so hard to believe? And I’m not your darling Rhysand.”

“Please Feyre  _ darling _ , call me Rhys, we’re friends after all… correct?” 

“I guess, yeah, sure Rhysa--- Rhys, we’re friends,” Feyre stuttered, gods, why couldn’t those pesky emotions just leave her alone.

“Feyre!” Mor shouted, running towards her, “It’s time for the introduction and first auction!” Feyre looked back towards Rhys, he nodded and then left.

“Ok, I’m coming!” Feyre said, rushing to the dias.

“Hello class of 2013!! Welcome to Sun and Stars Studio and Gallery! Tonight, we are happy to be saying that we will be auctioning off most pieces you see here tonight! All bids will start at $95 and will be raised in increments of $5. Half of the proceeds will be going back to the gallery and the other half to the artists. Now, please welcome the amazing person who organized this whole shindig and opened up her space for use… Feyre Archeron!” Mor said, ramping up all those in attendance.

Feyre walked out and said, “Hello! I first want to say, before we start auctioning, thank you to all in attendance and I hope you have had a wonderful last 5 years. I also want to thank Principle Weathers for helping with all of this and to remind the alumni that Prythian Prep is always accepting donations,” everyone groaned at that. If you attended Prythian Prep you are always expected to make early donations, “Yes, I understand that sucks. Now that all of the required stuff is out of the way I want to sincerely say that I have missed--” 

* * *

 

**_RHYS’S POV_ **

The lightning was the most shocking part. Not the thunder or the screams but the lightning itself shocked everyone, including Rhys. The second most shocking part was the ethereal woman standing behind Feyre Archeron. 

_ Feyre Archeron _ for heaven sakes. Who would’ve thought that she was going to be here. Feyre had vanished 3 weeks before graduation and nobody knew where she had gone. After graduation, people were saying that her dad had died and she would be attending Hybern University in Connecticut in the fall. 

The woman standing behind Feyre made a move to put her hand on her shoulder, and Rhys screamed. Not like a shriek, but more like a shout. This was the third most shocking thing. This made everyone turn and look at him, including the woman standing behind Feyre.

When she spoke, that was the fourth most shocking thing. Her  _ voice _ . He could’ve fallen in love with her voice. The woman said, “I am the Mother. Giver of life, death, and all that resides in between. I have great need of those whole call themselves the High Lords and their cohorts, if you are here tonight, I ask you to listen. Somebody has stepped on the world without my permission, and whoever they are, are causing quite a ruckus between this realm and the realm of the dead. Feyre Archeron, you saw one of these Nonexistants earlier, correct?” 

Everyone moved their stare to her. She was beet red. “I.. I guess?”

“Good,” replied the woman, _ or the Mother _ , Rhys thought, “The High Lords and their cohorts, if the need to be named then so they shall be, I name Mor and Feyre cohorts to Lord Rhysand and the Circle, including Amren, Ianthe and Lucien cohorts to Lord Tamlin, and Nesta and Elain cohorts to who they wish. High Lords and their cohorts, you must learn who steps on my land and please vanquish them. If not, I’m afraid this land would be forfeit to being far older and worse. I gift you with power from me, figure it out as you wish. Now please do help, we wouldn’t want death, correct?” She disappeared. Gone. Nothing left but a very pale Feyre and confused people. 

* * *

 

**_FEYRE POV_ **

“Umm, I regret to inform you all that this reunion is over, please exit in a calm fashion and call your family.” Feyre said this then ran to the bathroom, purging everything she had eaten into the toilet. 

“Feyre?! Feyre?!” Mor yelled, bursting into the bathroom.

“In here,” she croaked in return, “I’m in here.”

“Oh, Feyre.”

“Mor, what the hell was that?”


End file.
